The invention relates to exercise apparatus and particularly to apparatus intended to provide exercise for the torso as well as other parts of the human body. The prior art includes a wide variety of exercise apparatus. The increased awareness of the benefit of more exercise has brought public attention to such devices. Many of the prior art devices are intended to allow the user to exercise limited portions of the body. Many have utilized relatively heavy weights.
The prior art apparatus includes excercising apparatus such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,109,909; 4,113,250; 4,214,790; and 3,464,718. The apparatus described therein has not been wholly satisfactory, in part, because it has not completely exercised the torso and other portions of the body. It is desirable to exercise the torso about the entire circumferential extent as opposed to merely exercising the torso in a relatively limited direction of movement.
The incidence of medical problems associated with the back is indicated by the large number of Workmens Compensation claims and other injuries that are annually recorded.
Back problems begin from, at least, the following causes: a prior injury that was never given the opportunity or treatment needed for healing, self-imposed over stressing, fatigue persisting from restricted movement or from standing or sitting, lack of circulation from too little movement or from lowered general health, poor nutrition, a change in body shape and balance as a result of an occupational stance or a protective stance assumed because of pain, bad footwear and walking habits, no belief in recovery or psychological unwillingness to acknowledge an ailment which has become a convenient escape, excess body weight, and lack of exercise.
It is of course well known to skiers and other athletes that the incidence of physical injury is substantially reduced among those who have conditioned their bodies by adequate exercise. An unused function tends to wither. If the head is never turned more than ten degrees to the right or left, then the time will come when it can not be turned more than that. A ballet dancer in a spin turns the head half-way around in relation to the upper body and at a rate somewhere between seventy five and a hundred times a minute. An unpracticed person of sedentary habits might attempt to rotate his head in this manner one or two times and probably severely strain some ligaments. The dancer is able to perform without danger of injury because of conditioning by long periods of practice.
When seeking an increase in well being, healing or development it is apparent that interrelated aspects are involved. These aspects include: body chemistry and nutrition, exercise (which stimulates and intensifies other functions), breathing, and sleeping. When the first three aspects are in good order, then sleep normally looks after itself in time and/or intensity as does similarly, breathing and the rate thereof.
Muscles exercised slowly against a resistance that is progressively increased at each exercise period will develop rapidly in size but not necessarily in endurance. The endurance developed will amount to what is practiced. Large muscles developed by slow movement and heavy resistance without much repetition offer little if anything toward vitality, life potential or good health. They are as easily bruised as smaller muscles. They become burdensome and limit the flexibility of the body. Muscles exercised in rapid motion will tend to remain smaller or diminish in size while acquiring more power or endurance.
Once a development of the muscles is acquired, their capacity will remain close to the developed limits by using or exercising to those developed limits perhaps as infrequently as once a week or even every two weeks. The performance of any one set of muscles is dependent upon the whole body condition.
Cartilage and ligaments are not developed as quickly as muscles. The power of muscles may be noticeably increased in a few weeks time whereas a corresponding development of the cartilage and ligaments may take six times longer. In this sense, the enthusiastic muscle-builder and would-be weight lifter may develop muscular power and undertake efforts that will overstress his spinal discs and ligaments before they are developed sufficiently to accept the relatively large forces frequently encountered in weight lifting.
The objects of the invention are
1. To enable activation of the spine throughout its three hundred and sixty degree circumferential range of movement, in a manner to stretch and toughen cartilage and ligaments. PA1 2. To assist in increasing muscle flexibility and range of movement in the trunk and upper body. PA1 3. To assist in strengthening of muscles in certain of their ranges of movement made possible by rotation and inclination. PA1 4. To do all of the foregoing under the user's own control, using only gravity forces. PA1 5. To allow for hand held weight-loading if it is desirable in the case of developing muscle size, since hand held weights may be dropped safely to the floor if the user senses overstress. PA1 6. To do all of the foregoing with lessened compressive end loading on the spinal column. PA1 7. To provide apparatus that is safe to use, and particularly will allow the user to relax safely at any moment. PA1 8. To provide apparatus that may assist in waist line reduction and general body building.